1
as in jumble
a state in which everything is out of order
things at the newly built school were all in a muddle on opening day
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2
as in daze
a state of mental confusion
I was in such a muddle after the accident that I didn't know where I was
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3
as in confusion
a state of mental uncertainty
the new, supposedly improved forms simply put taxpayers in a bigger muddle
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4
as in variety
an unorganized collection or mixture of various things
a muddle of old magazines piled on the shelves
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1
as in to confuse
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
a car shopper thoroughly muddled by too much well-meaning advice
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2
as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
some mischievous brat had muddled the household accounts
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of muddle
Sarah Min, CNBC, 14 Feb. 2025
Or, even better, quadruple down on the lies, insults, and hours-long muddles of sentence-fragment non sequiturs that pass for campaign speeches (Donald Trump, 37.3 percent).
—airmail.news, 26 Oct. 2024
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
His passable ensemble wisely included a pedal-steel guitarist and violinist, yet the mix muddled their contributions on an abundance of mid- and high-tempo material.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for muddle
Noun
Clarity around tariffs or inflation could be just thing to break stocks out of their muddle.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 14 Feb. 2025
Or, even better, quadruple down on the lies, insults, and hours-long muddles of sentence-fragment non sequiturs that pass for campaign speeches (Donald Trump, 37.3 percent).
—airmail.news, 26 Oct. 2024
Verb
Time and again, TV Ellie feels weirdly neutered by the writing, her motivations and characterization oddly muddled and inconsistent.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
His passable ensemble wisely included a pedal-steel guitarist and violinist, yet the mix muddled their contributions on an abundance of mid- and high-tempo material.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for muddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muddle
Noun
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In jumbles of old stones that, to me, are barely legible as the remains of buildings, Cocon López could see the entire timeline of old Aké and how later people interacted with and repurposed what came before.—
Lizzie Wade,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 May 2025
-
Instead, voters themselves are jumbles of competing and sometimes contradictory interests.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Some of those who chose to evacuate didn’t do so promptly, and there was widespread confusion whether evacuation was necessary at all.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2025
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Two recent scientific reviews performed by the British National Health Service and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found little scientific support for the use of puberty blockers, hormone therapies, and surgery for youth with gender confusion.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
7 June 2025
Noun
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Amazon has the best Apple Watch discounts right now at 18% off across a variety of colors and styles.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
3 June 2025
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Within Canva’s Magic Studio are a wide variety of AI tools - such as Magic Resize to reformat documents, Magic Edit for photo editing, and Magic Animate to add motion to your designs.—
Chelsea Tobin,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Elections and Certifications Don’t confuse a benefit or B corporation with a B Corp.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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The measures are set to take effect on Monday and have left many Haitians confused.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2025
Verb
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The earthquake disrupted the World Series and damaged the Bay Bridge, Oakland’s Cypress Freeway, and swaths of San Francisco.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
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The cuts will disrupt ongoing research, ruin experiments and datasets, destroy the careers of aspiring scientists, and deter long-term investments at universities across the country.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
Noun
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The mess, not the message, is what many Americans absorbed.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2025
-
But chances are, this habit can snowball and become a cluttered mess.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 June 2025
Noun
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In June 2023, a surreal glowing orange haze descended on New York City and across other East Coast locations as winds concentrated and redirected smoke from Canada wildfires.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
6 June 2025
-
With the haze of inexplicable death clouding every sequence, The Virgin Suicides reset the barometric pressure of teen movies.—
Hillary Kelly,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2025
Noun
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The bartenders stop pouring, the light smears into a soft crimson fog.—
Jeff Weiss,
HollywoodReporter,
12 June 2025
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The regulatory bias against 401(k) crypto may be lifting, but that doesn’t mean the fog has dissipated.—
Chris Carosa,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Muddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muddle. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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